The generation of solar power often requires a significant number of solar cell or solar collectors be utilized in order to collect sufficient solar energy for many applications. Several solar collectors may be assembled into individual solar arrays, and a large number of solar arrays may be required to generate sufficient solar power for a particular application. Due to the large number of solar arrays that may be required, it is essential that the arrays be assembled utilizing an efficient manufacturing process in order to make the generation of solar power economically practical.
A critical factor in the efficiency of an individual solar array is the alignment of the solar collectors so that each solar collector is at an optimal angle to the sun during operation of the solar array. Each solar collector attached to the structural framework of the solar array must be aligned with respect to the others within a small angular tolerance. Normal manufacturing tolerances or dimensional variations inherent in the framework and the solar collectors typically require a means to adjust or compensate for this tolerance to meet the alignment requirement. Traditionally, these adjustments were made using solid or liquid shims to remove gaps between the components due to variations in their shape.
However, the shimming process reduces the efficiency of the manufacturing process due to the additional time required to apply a suitable shim for each location and, in the case of liquid shims, to cure the shim. Another solution is to utilize connecting hardware that allows adjustment of the angle of each solar collector in the assembly. This additional hardware, however, may result in additional complexity and significantly higher cost of manufacturing for each solar array, and further reduces the efficiency of assembly by requiring every solar collector in the solar array to be measured and adjusted to proper angular position before the array can be utilized.
It is with respect to these considerations and others that the disclosure made herein is presented.